this is the 135th in my series of posts on forgotten or seldom read books
Return of the Dinosaurs by Resnick & Greenberg, Editors, Berkeley Prime Crime 1997 – paperback, science fiction short story collection
This short story collection is just what the title would lead you to think, 23 short stories about dinosaurs. While all of the stories are good, several are very good indeed.
“Petting Zoo” by Gene Wolfe is very good; I thought it had a Ray Bradbury “Dandelion Wine” feel to it. Even better, outstanding in fact, is “Flight” by Michelle Sagara West. This is a story of a very unusual obsession and West sets it up beautifully and gives us a little twist at the end that got me thinking, and second guessing. There was something in this story that really clicked with me and I’d like to see it expanded to novel length just to delve into the history and future of these people and events. I had never heard of Michelle Sagara West but based on this story I will look for her other works.
Also very good are Karen Taylor’s “Romeo Falling” and “Stomping Mad” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, which is both SF and a mystery of sorts. The setting is a science fiction-fantasy convention.
Inexpensive copies of this are available in the usual places.
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can be found at Patti Abbott’s fine blog Pattinase
The Broken Bullhorn 
I don’t think I have read anything on dinosaurs but a collection of short stories on the ground-shakers sounds interesting, particularly your summation of “Petting Zoo” and “Flight.” Thank you, Richard.
Ooo…a Dandelion Wine-ish Wolfe story? That sold me.
I enjoy the Marty Greenberg anthologies regardless of who he’s partnered with. I’ll check to see if I own this one and if I don’t I’ll find a copy online. Good review!
gotta love dinos. I sure do.
OK, you convinced me. I like Rusch’s series set at the sf conventions. As for the other, one of the main reasons I like anthologies like this is to discover new authors as you did.
Prashant, I think you’d enjoy many of the stories here. Not all, but many.
Jeff, you may find a copy on PaperBack BookSwap, that’s where my copy went.
George, there are cheap copies out there.
It must have been gone already, Rick. I am on the wish list for it but when I get home if it isn’t available I might order a copy elsewhere…or wait. It’s not like I don’t have enough other stuff to read.